Retractable side bumper guard

ABSTRACT

A bumper guard assembly apparatus to be attached to an automobile comprising a bumper guard and means to move the bumper guard in one direction when the apparatus is in use and in an opposite direction when the apparatus is not in use, whereby the same need not be completely detached from the automobile at any time.

United States Patent 1191 Hertzell 1 Feb. 27, 1973 15 1 RETRACTABLE SIDEBUMPER GUARD [76] Inventor: Adelbert F. Hertzell, 5024 Lee Street,Skokie, Ill. 60076 22 Filed: Oct. 26, 1971 21 Appl. No.: 192,233

[52] US. Cl. ..293/9, 293/21, 293/62, 293/73 [51] Int. Cl ..B60r 19/04,B60r 21/02, B61f 19/04 [58] Field of Search ..52/717; 293/1, 9, 21, 28,62, 293/73 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,523,978 1/1925Rougeot ..293/62 1,708,804 4/1929 Schulman ..293/62 1,753,483 4/1930Stevens ..293/62 X 2,212,493 8/1940 Brunken ..293/62 X 2,274,440 211942Tozier ..293/73 X 2,512,527 6/1950 Hofi'man ..293/62 2,785,921 3/1957Barenyi ..296/28 R 3,355,208 11/1967 Brock ..293/9 3,388,523 6/1968Evans ..52/7l7 3,596,962 8/1971 Hertzell ..293/62 X PrimaryExaminerGerald M. Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran AttorneyRoyI-I. Olson et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT A bumper guard assembly apparatus to be attached to anautomobile comprising a bumper guard and means to move the bumper guardin one direction when the apparatus is in use and in an oppositedirection when the apparatus is not in use, whereby the same need not becompletely detached from the automobile at any time.

3 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures RETRACTABLE SIDE BUMPER GUARD SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION This invention relates broadly to protective devices 5 forvehicles and more particularly to bumper guards which protect anautomobile from scratches and dents due to external forces.

DISTINCTION OVER PRIOR ART AND OBJECTS In the past, side bumpers forautomobile bodies have been disclosed in accordance with U.S. Pat. No.2,212,493. A common problem in the prior art bumper guard assemblies isthe necessity to detach the bumper assembly from the car when the bumperis not used as a protective measure. This is necessary because thebumper structure does not allow entry into the auto while stillattached. As displayed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,212,493, a bumper bar and itscomponent parts are affixed to the side of an automobile by rigidlyattaching a clamp to the door handle of the car. The bar which is madeof one section extends across the side of the car preventing accesstherein by means of the car doors. In order for one to enter the carthrough the doors, the bumper structure necessitates complete removal ofthe bar and its component parts from the side of the car. This not onlycauses the inconvenience of requiring complete removal but alsonecessitates the added inconvenience of storing of the bumper structurewhile the automobile is in use.

Therefore, a general object of the present invention is to provide animproved side bumper for an automobile which overcomes the limitationsof the prior art by providing a foldable bumper assembly which does notnecessitate detachment from the automobile while the bumper assembly isnot in use.

The bumper guard assembly herein claimed and disclosed comprisesgenerally a section which may be semi-permanently affixed to a portionof an automobile and a second section which is movably affixed to thefirst section such that the movable section may be moved in onedirection when body protection is desired and in an opposite directionallowing access into the automobile when body protection is no longerdesired.

In the present embodiment of my invention a bumper guard assembly ispermanently fastened to the underside of an automobile. The assemblyparticularly comprises a baseboard and sub-baseboard which may be movedfrom a position entirely under the automobile when not in use to aposition protruding out from the side of the automobile when it isdesired to use the assembly as a protective device. When the baseboardand sub-baseboard are no longer to be so used, they may, by appropriatemeans, be moved back into their original position underneath theautomobile by an appropriate actuation device.

There is no necessity to remove the bumper guard structure from theautomobile when not in use. It can also be seen that this will nothinder free access into the automobile when so desired.

Additional objects and features of the invention will be apparent fromthe detailed disclosure which follows:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF FIGURES FIG. 1 is a perspective view of anautomobile with a bumper guard of the present invention attached on theunderside of the automobile. The bumper guard assembly is in itsprotective position with its power source and control means in anaccessible position located on the automobile;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the bumper guard assembly alone;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the assembly in both its protectiveand unprotective (dashed lines) position;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the underside of an automobile with the bumperguard assembly in its retracted position;

FIG. 5 is a front sectional view of the underside of the automobileshowing the bumper guard assembly in its non-protective position takenalong the line AA of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is the same as FIG. 5 except the bumper guard assembly is in itsprotective position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now in detail to the drawings and FIGS. 1through 6, a bumper guard assembly according to the present invention isshown. FIG. 1 specifically displays an automobile 50 in combination witha bumper guard assembly 60, power source and control valves which supplypower to and move the bumper guard assembly 60. As shown in FIG. 1 inits protective position the bumper guard assembly is attached to theunderside of the automobile with a portion extending out from beneaththe automobile. The power source 70 may be located in a convenientposition within the automobile as shown with power leads 71 extendingfrom the power source to the bumper assembly 60. The controls 90 areconveniently positioned on the automobile for easy actuation fromoutside the automobile.

Details of the bumper assembly 60 may be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. Theassembly comprises a drive element 61 which includes pneumatic cylinderand piston assemblies 62 connected together by an airline 62a. Thepistons 62b of the assemblies 62 are operatively connected at point 63to the ends of a flat rectangularly shaped baseboard 64. The rectangularbaseboard 64 lies in a flat position parallel with the ground. Asimilarly shaped sub-baseboard 65 is attached to the side of thebaseboard 64 away from drive element 61 by means of two spring hinges66. The spring hinges 66 bias sub-baseboard 65 in a vertical andperpendicular position with respect to the baseboard. FIG. 3specifically shows the sub-baseboard 65 tending to go from itsforced-down position (dashed lines) to its natural position (solidlines), the spring-urged pivoting being indicated by the arrow.

In operation, when the drive element 61 is energized by actuation ofcontrol valves 90 in the airline 62a pistons 62b5 which are directlyattached to the baseboard at point 63 are moved in an inward and outwarddirection thus moving the baseboard and subbaseboard in a direction toand away from the drive element. When the baseboard 64 and sub-baseboard65 are moved away from the drive element 61 by pistons 62b the bumperguard assembly is in its protective position. As shown in FIG. I aportion of the baseboard and the entire sub-baseboard extend out frombeneath the side of the automobile and the sub-baseboard is thus free tomove into its biased position due to the biased spring hinges 66. Whenit is desired to free the automobile from bumper guard protection, thedrive element 61 is actuated to move the baseboard and subbaseboard in adirection towards the driving element such that the entire baseboard andsub-baseboard lie completely beneath the automobile. As the subbaseboardin its vertical perpendicular position with respect to the baseboardmoves towards the drive element and therefore the automobile, thesub-baseboard comes in contact with the protruding portion of a channel80 on which it rides and continued movement inward thus forces thesub-baseboard into its inactive or storage position parallel to thebaseboard. Further movement towards the drive element completely hidesthe baseboard and sub-baseboard beneath the automobile.

Details of how the baseboard 64 and sub-baseboard 65 are moved away fromand to the drive element 61 are shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6. Attached tothe underside of the automobile and protruding out thereof are channels80 which are so positioned to allow the baseboard 64 and sub-baseboard65 to ride along the channels away from and towards the drive element61. The drive element 61 is attached to the underside of the automobilein a conventional manner. FIG. 5 specifically shows the bumper guardassembly in its retracted position with the baseboard and subbaseboardlocated completely under the automobile. FIG. 6 shows the bumper guardassembly in its protective position with baseboard 64 partially beneaththe car and partially extending outward along the channels 80 with thesub-baseboard 65 completely out from beneath the automobile and in itsbiased position.

From the above discussion of the bumper guard assembly herein disclosed,it can be seen that there is no necessity to remove the assemblyentirely from the automobile when the assembly is not to be used as isthe case in the prior art. While outside of the automobile, mereactuation of control valves which are located in an accessible positionwill move the entire structure to a position completely beneath theautomobile and thus allow free access into the automobile. When bumperguard protection is desired, a mere flick of the control switch willtransport the portion of the bumper guard assembly out from beneath theautomobile as discussed above and thus protection is attained.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been shown, it shouldbe understood of course that the invention is not limited thereto sincemany modifications such as electric or manually controlled driveelements may be made and it is therefore contemplated to cover by thepresent application any such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. Retractable bumper guard assembly apparatus to be used in combinationwith an automobile body, comprising baseboard means; horizontal channelmeans attached beneath said automobile body; power operated drivingmeans operatively connected to said baseboard means and to saidautomobile body for moving said baseboard means in a direction alon saidchannel means away from and towards the fixe portion of said drivingelement and at least partially past one end of the channel and outsidethe automobile body; and subbaseboard. means pivotally connected to saidbaseboard means and on the opposite side of said driving means.

2. Retractable bumper guard assembly apparatus as claimed in claim 1wherein said driving means comprise multiple pneumatic cylinder andpiston assembly means; an air line connecting said multiple assemblymeans; and power supply and control means connected to said air linewhereby actuation of said control means energizes said driving means formoving said baseboard means.

3. Retractable bumper guard assembly apparatus as claimed in claim 1wherein said sub-baseboard means is connected to said baseboard means byspring biased hinges whereby said sub-baseboard means is biased in avertical and perpendicular position with respect to said baseboard.means when automobile protection is desired and may be forced into ahorizontal position with respect to said baseboard by the end of thechannel when protection is no longer desired.

1. Retractable bumper guard assembly apparatus to be used in combinationwith an automobile body, comprising baseboard means; horizontal channelmeans attached beneath said automobile body; power operated drivingmeans operatively connected to said baseboard means and to saidautomobile body for moving said baseboard means in a direction alongsaid channel means away from and towards the fixed portion of saiddriving element and at least partially past one end of the channel andoutside the automobile body; and sub-baseboard means pivotally connectedto said baseboard means and on the opposite side of said driving means.2. Retractable bumper guard assembly apparatus as claimed in claim 1wherein said driving means comprise multiple pneumatic cylinder andpiston assembly means; an air line connecting said multiple assemblymeans; and power supply and control means connected to said air linewhereby actuation of said control means energizes said driving means formoving said baseboard means.
 3. Retractable bumper guard assemblyapparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sub-baseboard means isconnected to said baseboard means by spring biased hinges whereby saidsub-baseboard means is biased in a vertical and perpendicular positionwith respect to said baseboard means when automobile protection isdesired and may be forced into a horizontal position with respect tosaid baseboard by the end of the channel when protection is no longerdesired.